At last the day has arrived – since the release of Update 1.6 and Ember Isle the big question since last year has been: What’s next?!

As the first update of 2012 Update 1.7 answers that question with a mighty bounty of new features, content, and improvements. No matter your play style there’s something waiting for you in 1.7! We’ve added a new chronicle, powered-up PvP and endgame items and are introducing Ascended Weddings as our first Gathering. There’s no doubt 1.7 is a biggun – lucky for you there’s tons of information to sink your teeth in or log in to see it for yourself!

RIFT 1.7 Key Features

Endgame Gear & Expert Dungeons get an upgrade

Tons of level 45+ equipment gets a boost in power to help you better face your foes across Telara. In addition advanced dungeoneers now have more adventures to choose from, as Tier 1 and Tier 2 have merged. Expert Mode dungeons become a single category in LFG, sporting trials and rewards on par with Tier 2.

PvP improvements

The Prestige system gets major improvements, changing the number of ranks to 40. We’re removing Prestige requirements from PvP gear, and rolling PvP Soul abilities and benefits into their own Planar Attunement tree.

RIFT™ Lite

Introducing RIFT Lite – Play levels 1-20 of RIFT, with no charge or time limit! Now you or your friends can check out Telara at your own pace with no credit card or subscription required. All RIFT Lite accounts still share the same restriction to chat, trade, and mail, however.

Ascended weddings & A World Record Attempt!

Even immortal Ascended need to share eternity with the one they love. Amid the horrors of the rifts, Guardians and Defiant have each created a ritual to pledge undying devotion. Invite your friends and allies to witness your in-game nuptials, just in time for Valentine’s Day. But that’s not all – join us on February 14th, Valentines Day, for a Guiness Book of World Record attempt for the most marriages in a virtual world in a 24 hour period. If you and yours are looking to make the day even more special – we’ve got a great contest for you to win a personally planned in-game wedding and shard-wide broadcast when you tie the knot!

River of Souls Chronicle

Disguised as cultists of the Endless Court, you and an ally (or maybe just you) must sneak into the River of Souls to foil Alsbeth’s schemes. Terrible foes and an old friend await in our latest Chronicle for one or two Ascended.

Choose your Purpose: Introducing preset templates for your Soul

In RIFT 1.7, we’re making some big changes to character creation, taking some of our players’ most popular Soul combinations (complete with names coined by the community!) and introducing them as Purposes: preset Soul templates you can use when creating a new Ascended or building a new role!

Master Mode Caduceus Rise

Take your elite group into the second Master Mode Dungeon. Caduceus Rise gets the hardcore upgrade, with badder bosses, bigger fights, and the richest rewards you can get without raiding.

Step right up!

Arriving a few weeks after RIFT 1.7, but just in time for the one-year anniversary of RIFT, is the Carnival of the Ascended itself. Celebrate a year of the most dynamic MMO in the world with the most dynamic party in Telara. The Dragon Balloons alone are worth the price of Ascension in our latest World Event.